Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York urged Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey to step down, emphasizing the gravity of the accusations against the fellow Democrat.
Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan, Ocasio-Cortez said that regardless of party affiliation, consistency is crucial. “Whether Republican or Democrat, it shouldn’t make a difference,” she stated.
While addressing potential bias claims due to Menendez’s ethnicity, Ocasio-Cortez, a Latina herself, acknowledged the existence of systemic bias but stressed the clarity of the indictment’s accusations. She believed that for the integrity of the Senate seat, resignation would be the best course.
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who also appeared on the show, acknowledged the severity of the charges against Menendez but did not expressly ask for his resignation. When questioned about the allegations by Brennan, Kelly remarked on their alarming nature, stating he had not witnessed such a case before.
Menendez recently relinquished his role as the leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is currently facing bribery allegations, which claim that he, along with his wife, participated in a corrupt alliance with three businessmen from New Jersey over several years.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, during a press briefing, detailed the charges. “We have charged Senator Robert Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, and businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes with bribery-related offenses,” Williams declared.
The indictment purports that the Menendez couple accepted significant sums as bribes, leveraging the senator’s position for the benefit of the three businessmen and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
